The landslide has questioned construction of the parking site as PWD and its contractors never bother to secure the highway and ensuring safety of the public around the busy road.
Shimla, July 8: A big landslide near Deen Dayal Upadhyay (Ripon) Hospital and a local Gurdwara on Circular Road has not only disrupted traffic but also raised serious security concerns for the hospital and its patients and nearby residents.
The incident has brought into question the way construction is being carried out by PWD and its contractors and various government agencies, especially since the monsoon season has only just begun, exposing the government's tall claims of preparedness and infrastructure resilience.
Following heavy rains, the landslide occurred near the under-construction parking area.
District Magistrate Anupam Kashyap, along with senior officials, rushed to the site at 9:45 PM for inspection.
Kashyap stated that there were no casualties from the landslide.
The district administration swiftly managed to restore traffic flow on one side and covered the affected area with tarpaulin to minimize the impact of rain.
Precautionary measures included cutting off the electricity supply to a nearby pole to prevent any potential hazards.
The HPSEBL linemen had tough time to cut the electric cables in the middle of the night to avoid electrocution in the area.
The pole was re-erected restore power supply to the area.
On the direction of Kashyap, SE of the Public Works Department began relief work early in the morning to avoid inconvenience to the public.
PWD contractor put tarpaulin when the damage was done exposing how these contractors work. Had PWD taken precautionary measures and road could have been saved.
He assured that traffic would remain smooth and instructed the officials of the Jal Shakti Department to secure a water supply pipe located at the site.
District Magistrate Kashyap urged the public to stay vigilant during the monsoon season and report any incidents to the administration immediately.
